 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1915
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
1915 NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CUP
Despite a fine second the previous year and a win in the New Brighton Cup in 4:32 2/5, which made her a backmarker and gave her a reputation as the best stayer in the land, Country Belle was one of the outsiders when she wore down fancied leader Don Caesar and fought off Our Thorpe.
She became the fourth mare in eight years to prevail and through her daughter Rustic Maid established a quite outstanding family.
**Credit: NZ HRWeekly 1Oct2003**
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In the 1915 Cup Country Belle, urged on by Albert Hendricksen, went in pursuit of the leader Don Caesar and, after taking control two furlongs from the finish, fought off the challenges of newcomers Our Thorpe and Jingle. Don Caesar was fourth, and then followed Admiral Wood, Tommy C, Win Soon, Frandocia and Manderene. Country Belle's winning time was 4:35.6.
It was Hendricksen's second success, having won with Albert H in 1912. A seven-year-old mare by Wild Moor from Bonnie Bell, by Lincoln Yet, Country Belle was bred by Rakaia owner Bill Morland. After her fine second in the New Zealand Cup the previous year, she won the New Brighton Cup a month later in 4:32.4, which stamped her as one of the best stayers in the country.
The stake for the Cup remained at 2500 sovereigns, but the overall stakes at the meeting reached 10,000 sovereigns for the first time.
Country Belle and Emmeline trialled well on the Sunday morning before the Cup, yet the Morland mare went out 10th favourite, with only three others less supported in the 15-strong field. There were two bracketed pairs - Wallace Wood and Adelaide Direct, and Admiral Wood and Manderene. Country Belle had been a consistent performer early on. She started racing as a three-year-old and won twice from five starts. At four years she won at each of her three starts. The current season, however, was her best, and her Cup victory enabled her to end the season the leading earner, with £1930, followed by Our Thorpe. Morland, with £2635, was the season's top owner.
Country Belle and the previous year's winner, Win Soon, were the scratch markers in the Cup, giving a start of six seconds to Manderene. Win Soon, who had not raced since August, did not go well and finished a long way behind the placed horses.
The rising star from the previous season, Admiral Wood (then in the James Bryce stable, having changed hands for a record sum), was race favourite and shared the one-second mark with Emmeline. But he too raced below his best. Because of his outstanding achievements, Admiral Wood was asked even then to race from long marks, and was another victim of a less-than-satisfactory handicap system. He did win more good races, including the 1916 New Zealand Free-For-All and the Auckland Cup the same year, and when retired at the end of the 1919-20 season had a two-mile record of 4:26.6.
Our Thorpe, a five-year-old by O.Y.M. from Lady Thorpe, whose dam was a Young Irvington mare, received solid support, as did Adonis(Free Holmes) and Frandocia(Artie Butterfield), the latter another son of Franz. Our Thorpe was slow away and was left behind by the scratch pair. He made a forward move, with Jingle, in the back straight on the last lap to follow Don Caesar and Country Belle. Our Thorpe ran past Don Caesar in the straight but could not match Country Belle. Adonis collided with Manderene at the start and lost his chance, while Frandonia, slow away, plugged on without ever looking likely to fill a place.
Third placed Jingle - owned by Greymouth solicitor Harry Kitchingham, for many years a great patron of trotting - was by Capitalist from Merry Bell, from Silver Bell, a Blackwood Abdallah mare. Robert Wilkin imported Blackwood Abdallah, foaled in 1878 at Lexington, Kentucky, to New Zealand. He stood at the Fendalton Stud and later at Ashburton, and in all sired 57 winners. Among his descendants were the racing idol of the 1930's, Harold Logan, outstanding trotter Ripcord, and Gold Chief, the sire of Rupee. Kitchingham set up a stud in Russley Road, Upper Riccarton. Jingle was the best horse he raced.
Country Belle, after her impressive Cup victory, earned favouritism for the Free-For-All, along with Our Thorpe and Emmeline. After one false start, the seven-horse field was sent away, with Our Thorpe last to settle, while Adelaide Direct broke stride at the starting post. Our Thorpe made up his lost ground and finished brilliantly to beat Country Belle, with Emmeline third, 40 yards away. Our Thorpe recorded 2:41.4, a mile rate of 2:09, the fastest winning rate paced in New Zealand to that stage.
On the third day of the meeting the outstanding performance came from Solo, in the Enfield Handicap. Driven by Eugene McDermott, he registered 2:10.8, a mile winning record. Michael Galindo (Cliff Tasker) won the Dominion Handicap from Galacian and Master Raymond, and in so doing became the first double winner of the country's prestigious trotting event, having recorded his initial success in 1913.
**Credit: Bernie Wood writing in The Cup**